This thesis investigated the restoration of mauri (life-force) to Ōkahu Bay, Auckland New Zealand. Ōkahu Bay is part of the land and waters of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, a Māori hapū (sub-tribe). Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has been driving the restoration, restoring Ōkahu Bay based on their worldview, visions, and concerns. This vision and control of the restoration process allows them to bring in the hapū in sustainable engagement and have the long-term vision and commitment necessary for self-determination. However, while there has been progress with projects and improved decision-making authority, hapū members are still not seeing their whānau (family) swimming in and caring for Ōkahu as much as they would like. Interviewees wanted to see an explicit focus on encouraging hapū members to use the bay, such as more educational programs and water-based activities, and continued efforts to improve water quality. Shellfish populations have also not recovered after a decade of monitoring due to structural aspects such as existing stormwater pipes. Changing these requires Auckland City Council to make stronger commitments to supporting Ngāti Whātua’s restoration. Overall, this investigation showed that in this restoration, a clean environment is essential to build community and a community is essential to build a clean environment. This community-driven restoration, while not perfect, has great potential to truly reconnect people with their environments, decolonize the land and the people, and create thriving ecosystems and people that benefit themselves, their communities, and the wider Auckland community.

「發展」涉及改造社會的整體想像，產業即是發展政策中相當重要的一環，產業的變遷不僅改變了一個社會的生產模式和分工方式，亦會改變一個社會中的空間和性別關係。本研究運用：參與觀察、深度訪談、焦點團體座談會和參與式製圖等方法、以性別的觀點來探究比雅楠部落從以小米為主食的燒墾農業轉型到當代以高麗菜為主要經濟作物的發展過程中部落的空間變化。本研究有三個主要的研究發現。一是政府的發展政策牽動了部落的空間與性別關係的改變；二是比雅楠部落的兩性有著不同的發展軌跡，男性較快投入市場經濟中、其勞動也被換算為較高的薪資，女性的勞動所賺取的薪資較少；三是女性保留並實踐更多的生態知識─包含對物種的知識、對人際協商的知識。總結本研究發現，筆者認為當比雅楠部落面臨到現代工業化發展所帶來的負面影響時，這些女性保存並實踐的生態知識是部落尋求替代性發展的契機。 / Development demands active imaginations toward transforming a society in which industrial transformation is a decisive part. Industrial transformation not only changes a society’s mode of production and labor division, but also changes its space and gender relationships. By employing the methods of participatory mapping, focused group discussions and in-depth interviews, this study attempts to explore Pyanan community’s experiences of industrial transformation particularly from the aspects of space and gender. There are three main findings in this study. Firstly, the government’s development policies are the main cause for the changes of Pyanan community. Secondly, this study shows that Indigenous men and women have experienced different changes in the industrial development process, like Indigenous men’s work is priced higher than the women’s under similar working condition. Thirdly, Indigenous women preserve and practice much more traditional ecological knowledge than Indigenous men. In conclusion, this study suggests that the traditional ecological knowledge preserved and practiced by Indigenous women could be the key to seek alternative development strategies while the community faces the negative influences from the modern industrial development.

As North American plants took root in Parisian botanical gardens and regularly appeared in scientific texts in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, they retained their connections to networks of ecological and cultural exchange in colonial North America. In this dissertation I study the history of French botany and natural history as it became an Atlantic enterprise during this time, analyzing the production of knowledge about North American flora and the place of this knowledge in larger processes of colonialism and imperial expansion in the French Atlantic World. I focus particular attention on recovering the role of aboriginal peoples in the production of knowledge about colonial environments on both sides of the Atlantic. Rather than integrating aboriginal collectors, chefs and healers into traditional histories of western science, I integrate familiar histories of science into larger histories of cultural contact in an Atlantic World with multiple centres of knowledge production and exchange. This dissertation develops two closely related arguments. First, I argue that French encounters with American environments and Native cultures were inseparable. Jesuit missionaries, for example, called both a plant and a native culture “wild rice,” conflating descriptions of local ecological and morphological features of the Great Lakes plant with accounts of indigenous cultural and moral attributes. Second, “Plants and Peoples” also analyzes the process by which the Paris-based Académie Royale des Sciences expanded its reach into North America and argues that French colonial naturalists drew on a vibrant conversation between diverse colonial and indigenous communities. Yet indigenous participation and the knowledges they provided were progressively effaced over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This research therefore presents both a new understanding of the history of early modern and enlightenment botany and a lens through which to revisit and enrich familiar histories of cultural exchange in colonial North America.

In the past, the indigenous knowledge of soils of small-scale farmers in South Africa has been largely ignored in scientific research. Hence the use of scientific approaches to land evaluation has often failed to improve land use in rural areas where understanding of the prescriptive scientific logic is lacking. Despite this, it is clear that local people and smallscale farmers have knowledge of their lands based on soil and land characteristics that remain largely unknown to the scientific community. It is therefore important for researchers to understand farmers’ knowledge of soil classification and management. To address this issue, a study was conducted in the uMbumbulu area of KwaZulu-Natal to investigate the use of indigenous knowledge as well as farmers’ perceptions and assessments of soil fertility. A preliminary questionnaire was designed to explore indigenous knowledge in a group interview that was conducted prior to the study. Another questionnaire was used to elicit indigenous knowledge from 59 randomly chosen homesteads representative of the population of Ezigeni and Ogagwini villages. Six homesteads were chosen for further detailed information on the cropping history, knowledge specific to the cultivated lands, detailed soil description and fertility. Soil samples were taken from these homesteads under different land uses (taro, fallow, veld and vegetable) at 0-30 and 30-60 cm depth for laboratory analysis. This was done to determine the effect of land use on soil physical and chemical properties and soil microbial activity. For scientific evaluation a general purpose free soil survey was conducted to produce land capability and suitability maps. Farmers identified ten soil types using soil morphological characteristics, mainly soil colour and texture. These soil properties were also used in the farmers’ land suitability assessment. In addition, slope position, natural vegetation and village location were used to indicate land suitability. The amount of topsoil was also used in land evaluation. However, slope position was considered the most important factor as it affects the pattern of soils and hence their suitability. Soils on the footslope were considered more suitable for crops than those found on the midslope and upslope. The yield difference observed between villages, which were higher in Ogagwini than Ezigeni, was also used as a criterion for evaluation. Farmers attributed these yield differences for various crops to the effect of soil type on productivity. In support, scientific evaluation found that Ezigeni village had a number of soils with a heavy textured, pedocutanic B horizon and hence a relatively shallow effective rooting depth. Moreover, the Ezigeni village land suitability was limited in places by poor drainage and stoniness. These limitations were rarely found for the Ogagwini village soils. Farmers had a total of six comprehensive and well defined soil fertility indicators, namely crop yield, crop appearance, natural vegetation, soil texture, soil colour and presence of mesofauna. Results showed that farmers’ fertility perceptions are more holistic than those of researchers. However, despite this, their assessment correlated with soil analysis. There was a close relationship between scientific and indigenous suitability evaluation for three commonly cultivated crops (taro, maize and dry beans). This was further substantiated by yield measurements which were significantly higher for Ogagwini as rated by both farmers and scientific evaluation as the more suitable. The significant agreements between the scientific and indigenous approaches imply that there are fundamental similarities between them. Recognizing this and subsequently integrating the two approaches will produce land use plans relevant and profitable for both small-scale farmers and scientists. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Ethno-archaeological evidence shows that taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] originated in Asia. It may have been brought into South Africa a few hundred years after 300 BC from Madagascar, where Malaysian settlers introduced it about 300 BC. The crop is grown in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, largely for subsistence on farms. In South Africa, taro is mainly produced in the subtropical coastal belt, stretching from Bizana in the Eastern Cape to the KwaZulu-Natal north coast. Although it is a staple crop for the subsistence farmers who grow it, there are no data on taro agronomy in South Africa. The hypothesis of this study was that traditional knowledge about taro production practices is not adequate to form a basis for agronomic and extension interventions to promote the status of the crop to that of a commercial commodity. A survey was conducted at two districts in KwaZulu-Natal, Umbumbulu and Ndwedwe, where taro is a staple crop. The objective of the survey was to determine the cultural practices associated with taro production, including knowledge about varieties, agronomy, plant protection, storage and marketing. Qualitative data obtained from the survey was used to plan an investigation into the agronomy of taro. The survey showed that subsistence farmers at Ndwedwe and Umbumbulu used traditional methods for taro production that had very small influence from the extension services from the Department of Agriculture. The farmers identified three varieties of taro, which they designated as the "red", "white" and "Zulu" types. The "red" and "white" designations were based on consistent crop morphological characteristics. This finding confirmed the reliability of indigenous knowledge for crop classification.The survey also revealed that wetland and dryland conditions are used to produce taro. At Umbumbulu, production occurred predominantly under dryland conditions, whereas at Ndwedwe there was an almost even utilisation of both wetlands and drylands. At both locations, the farmers estimated plant spacing using their feet, which showed that the plant populations would be about 18400 plants ha(-1). Full corms were a predominant type of propagation material. In the light of the survey findings about site types (wetland or dryland), propagation material and plant spacing for taro production, field experiments were designed to 1) determine the effect of site type on taro production, 2) compare three propagule types (full corm, full corm with a shoot and half corm) in taro production and 3) examine the effect of planting density (18400, 24600 and 37000 plants ha(-1) on the performance of propagules with respect to production under wetland and dryland conditions. Field experiments showed that wetland cultivation improved taro yield by 40% compared with dryland production. However, in each of the two site categories, there were significant differences between sites. Using full corms with shoots also enhanced taro yield (42% > full corms without shoots and 66% > half corms), when means were determined across all sites and planting densities. Increasing planting density also caused an increase in taro production (4.9 t ha (-1), 6.8 t ha (-1) and 11.5 t ha (-1), for 18400,24600 and 37000 plants ha,(-1), respectively; LSD (0.05) = 1.4 t ha,1). The enhanced performance of taro under wetland conditions, where corms with a shoot were used and at high planting densities may have been associated with photosynthetic efficiency. Wetland conditions and corms with shoots improved plant emergence and plant growth, which are essential agronomic conditions for efficient capture of the sun's energy for photosynthesis. It is proposed that using propagules with shoots and high plant populations under dryland conditions could enhance taro production. Although wetland cultivation enhanced yield, the survey showed that the total area of land that could be used for wetland cultivation at Ndwedwe and Umbumbulu was too small to warrant sustainable wetland production. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Avoiding the negative effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity is especially challenging when also the management institutions are spatially and administratively distributed. This doctoral thesis introduces five case studies that investigate ecological, social and social-ecological relations in fragmented landscapes. I present new approaches in which research and governance can detect and manage mismatches between landscape ecology and planning. The case studies include urban and forested landscapes where an intense land-use is limiting the connectivity, i.e., the potential for many species to disperse between the remaining patches of habitat. Graph-theoretic (network) models are applied to map connectivity patterns and to estimate the outcome for dispersing species at the patch level and for the whole study system. In particular, the network models are applied to evaluate the spatial complexity and the potential mismatches between ecological connectivity and geographically distributed management institutions like protected areas and municipalities. Interviews with municipal ecologists complement the spatial analysis; revealing some problems and ways forward regarding the communication and integration of ecological knowledge within local spatial-planning agencies. The results also show that network models are useful to identify and communicate critical ecological and social-ecological patterns that call for management attention. I suggest some developments of network models as to include interactions between species and across governance levels. Finally, I conclude that more effort is needed for network models to materialize into ecological learning and transformation in management processes. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defence the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 2: Manuscript.</p>

As North American plants took root in Parisian botanical gardens and regularly appeared in scientific texts in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, they retained their connections to networks of ecological and cultural exchange in colonial North America. In this dissertation I study the history of French botany and natural history as it became an Atlantic enterprise during this time, analyzing the production of knowledge about North American flora and the place of this knowledge in larger processes of colonialism and imperial expansion in the French Atlantic World. I focus particular attention on recovering the role of aboriginal peoples in the production of knowledge about colonial environments on both sides of the Atlantic. Rather than integrating aboriginal collectors, chefs and healers into traditional histories of western science, I integrate familiar histories of science into larger histories of cultural contact in an Atlantic World with multiple centres of knowledge production and exchange. This dissertation develops two closely related arguments. First, I argue that French encounters with American environments and Native cultures were inseparable. Jesuit missionaries, for example, called both a plant and a native culture “wild rice,” conflating descriptions of local ecological and morphological features of the Great Lakes plant with accounts of indigenous cultural and moral attributes. Second, “Plants and Peoples” also analyzes the process by which the Paris-based Académie Royale des Sciences expanded its reach into North America and argues that French colonial naturalists drew on a vibrant conversation between diverse colonial and indigenous communities. Yet indigenous participation and the knowledges they provided were progressively effaced over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This research therefore presents both a new understanding of the history of early modern and enlightenment botany and a lens through which to revisit and enrich familiar histories of cultural exchange in colonial North America.

ARAÚJO, Liane Marli Silva de. Etnoictiologia como ferramenta para uma gestão pesqueira participativa e sustentável. 2013. 107 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente-PRODEMA, Fortaleza,CE, 2013. / Submitted by guaracy araujo (guaraa3355@gmail.com) on 2016-05-09T19:16:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_lmsaraújo.pdf: 812644 bytes, checksum: 600526b594b533b682f6ab79e1c9f49b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by guaracy araujo (guaraa3355@gmail.com) on 2016-05-09T19:17:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_lmsaraújo.pdf: 812644 bytes, checksum: 600526b594b533b682f6ab79e1c9f49b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-09T19:17:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_lmsaraújo.pdf: 812644 bytes, checksum: 600526b594b533b682f6ab79e1c9f49b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / This study aimed to investigate the relations between the Ceará coastal fishermen and fisheries resources with respect to the local ecological knowledge (LEK) about fish and fishing techniques. Specifically, we investigated the fishermen from Redonda Beach, in the municipality of Icapui (CE), and the fish species harvested by them. This location was chosen because those fishermen carries on the responsible fishing, that is aligned to the sustainability principles. For data collection, we used qualitative and quantitative methods in the light of ethnoichthyology, which deals with the interactions between humans and fish. The research techniques used in this study were the following: "snowball"sampling ; direct observation, guided tours, open interviews, and semi-structured and structured questionnaires. The survey was applied to the Redonda fishermen and 30 persons from the community. The results showed that Redonda fishermen have practiced artisanal fishing, usually in sailing vessels, using relatively simple tools, and that fishing is an economic, sociocultural and subsistence activity for them. The fish species most havested (and showing higher use value) were cavala (Aconthocybium solandri); biquara (Haemulon plumierii) and serra (Scomberomorus brasiliensis). We suggest that policy measures should be adopted for those species such as minimum harvesting season. The study points out the need for creating spawning season for the Lutjanidae fish family: cioba, dentão, guaiuba, pargo e ariacó. This information is important for developing fisheries resource management and conservation plans, in addition to supporting the decision making to promote the fisheries sustainable management on the coast of Ceará. / Esse estudo teve como objetivo geral investigar as relações estabelecidas entre os pescadores do litoral leste do Ceará e os recursos pesqueiros no que diz respeito ao conhecimento ecológico local (CEL) sobre a ictiofauna e as técnicas de pesca para capturar as espécies. Especificamente, foram investigados os pescadores da praia de Redonda, município de Icapuí (CE), e as espécies de peixes mais exploradas por eles. A localidade foi escolhida pelo fato dos pescadores serem referência por praticarem uma pesca responsável, ou seja, em consonância com os princípios da sustentabilidade. Para coleta de dados foram utilizados métodos qualitativos e quantitativos à luz da Etnoictiologia, a qual trata das interações entre os seres humanos e os peixes. As técnicas de pesquisa utilizadas foram: amostragem “bola de neve”; observação direta; turnês guiadas; entrevistas abertas; e questionários estruturados e semi-estruturados. A pesquisa contou com a participação direta de 30 pescadores e de respondentes da comunidade em geral. Os resultados mostraram que os pescadores de Redonda realizam uma pesca artesanal, geralmente em embarcações à vela, utilizando instrumentos simples e que a pesca constitui-se como uma atividade econômica, sociocultural e de subsistência. As espécies de peixes mais capturadas (de maior valor de uso) foram cavala (Aconthocybium solandri); biquara (Haemulon plumierii) e serra (Scomberomorus brasiliensis). Sugere-se que sejam adotadas medidas mínimas do comprimento para captura dessas espécies. O estudo aponta a necessidade da criação de seguro defeso para peixes da família Lutjanidae: cioba, dentão, guaiuba, pargo e ariacó. Essas informações são importantes para a elaboração de planos de manejo e conservação dos recursos pesqueiros, além de subsidiar a tomada de decisão visando promover a gestão sustentável da pesca.

À une époque où la notion de patrimoine culturel immatériel est de plus en plus utilisée à l’échelle internationale, les populations s’approprient le concept localement. Il en va ainsi en Bretagne. La musique et la danse bretonne sont pleines de vitalité, tout en ayant conservé leur aspect patrimonial ; les autres éléments du patrimoine culturel immatériel pourraient-ils connaître une même revitalisation ? Notre thèse traite des témoignages sur l’ethnobotanique en Haute-Bretagne, c’est-à-dire relatifs aux savoirs et savoir-faire populaires liés aux plantes. Ils sont étudiés à travers l’analyse d’archives orales conservées au sein du milieu associatif et issues d’enquêtes et de collectages. Ce sont les plantes citées dans les recueils des folkloristes haut-bretons, à la fin du XIXe siècle, qui reviennent le plus souvent dans les archives sonores, un siècle plus tard. Les enregistrements de témoignages ethnobotaniques et les recueils des folkloristes, peu précis sur les modalités des savoirs, visent davantage à la sauvegarde des connaissances qu’à leur possible revitalisation. Par le dépôt patrimonial dans des structures de conservation, elles connaissent une première forme de valorisation, à travers leur traitement documentaire. Celui-ci opère une mise à distance, en transformant les témoignages en archives. Les archives orales, jusqu’alors considérées comme de simples matériaux de terrain, accèdent ainsi à de multiples possibilités de réutilisations. Elles créent chez l’auditeur un sentiment d’appartenance et lui permettent de renouer avec la tradition orale. / At a time when the concept of intangible cultural heritage is increasingly used internationally, it also applies locally. This is the case in Brittany where folk music and dance are very much alive and popular all while maintaining their traditional characteristics. Could other types of intangible cultural heritage undergo a similar revitalization? This thesis examines recordings relating to ethnobotanical knowledge in eastern Brittany, namely folk knowledge and practices involving plants. The work was carried out by analyzing oral archives, compiled through interviews and fieldwork, that had been preserved in community organizations. These recordings predominantly refer to the same plants folklorists documented in eastern Brittany at the end of the 19th century. The oral accounts and information gathered by folklorists a century earlier don’t give details such as specific formulations, method of preparation, doses, etc. They aimed more at preserving general knowledge about these traditions than at the possibility of reviving them. Preserving these traditions by documenting them is an initial form of recognition. Documentation transforms accounts into archives. Oral archives, formerly considered simple field work, thus come to offer many possibilities for reuse. They give the listener a sense of belonging and make it possible to reconnect with the oral tradition.

La gestion de la faune sauvage hors des ENP pose en premier lieu la question de la connaissance des milieux qu'elle fréquente et de l'évolution de leur capacité d’accueil. Aboutir à une description détaillée de la répartition qualitative et quantitative des espèces, avec comme seuls collecteurs de données des professionnels formés à ces fins, peut sembler utopique. L’immensité des espaces de la campagne banale combinée à la mobilité des espèces supposent une présence régulière et un relevé assez fréquent d'indices de présence lorsque des suivis sont nécessaires. Si certains chercheurs et gestionnaires n’hésitent désormais plus à utiliser l’écologie participative comme un moyen de collecte de ces données, cette méthode souffre parfois d’un manque de bénévoles, donc d'un défaut d’informations sur certaines parties des maillages qu'il faudrait renseigner. Dans ce contexte, envisager de solliciter ceux qui façonnent ces milieux naturels, donc qui séjournent longuement et utilisent cette nature, semble une alternative plausible pour acquérir des informations et des savoirs nécessaires à la gestion de la faune sauvage. Or, la qualité de ceux-ci est à interroger pour en mesurer la richesse et la fiabilité, et donc les possibilités ou non de les mobiliser dans des processus de suivis ou de gestion. Afin de conduire cette recherche, un objet et un terrain d’étude appropriés étaient nécessaires. Le choix s’est porté sur les savoirs locaux des chasseurs de gibier d’eau des zones humides girondines. La pratique de la chasse de la nuit a été plus particulièrement ciblée, ces adeptes disposant de carnets sur lesquels ils enregistrent parfois depuis longtemps des observations de l’avifaune, et l’activité en elle-même imposant de se tenir dans un poste fixe. Au-delà de leurs observations, des savoirs locaux potentiellement importants ont donc pu être accumulées. Dans les deux cas, l’accès à ces items est complexe et impose de créer une relation de confiance, que nous avons acquise grâce à l’échange d’informations. Il a ainsi été possible de poursuivre notre recherche en nous intéressant à l’aspect « observations » grâce aux carnets, puis à l’aspect « savoirs » en menant des entretiens en situation avec ces locaux. Notre travail interroge d’abord à la nature des informations nécessaires à la gestion de différentes espèces de la faune sauvage, et à la variabilité des moyens qui sont utilisés pour les collecter. La mobilisation de savoirs appartenant parfois à des ruraux amène ensuite à s’interroger sur leur pertinence scientifique. Il apparaît que ces derniers peuvent s’avérer être des contributions probantes qui concourent à une meilleure gestion de la faune sauvage. Ainsi, on montre ensuite en quoi différentes pratiques cynégétiques mobilisent des savoirs qui semblent pouvoir contribuer à la gestion de la faune sauvage. Les caractéristiques de la chasse de nuit au gibier d’eau la rendent plus propice à la collecte d’observations et de savoirs originaux, dont certains pourraient contribuer à la gestion de l’avifaune migratrice. Les zones humides girondines apparaissent alors comme un terrain d’étude approprié. Puis, on regarde de manière détaillée en quoi consiste la pratique de la chasse au gibier, et on montre que ces pratiquants sont susceptibles de collecter des informations originales sur l’avifaune et les milieux humides. La fiabilité des informations collectées et donc la qualité des observateurs pouvant être hétérogènes suivant les affinités de ces pratiquants, les meilleurs d’entre eux doivent être identifiés. On s’attache alors à déceler, en utilisant leurs carnets, les chasseurs qui, parmi la masse de ces individus, s’avèrent être des observateurs fiables. Au-delà, les informations qu’ils ont accumulées sont susceptibles de s’être combinées en savoirs. A travers une série d’entretiens puis d’évaluations, c’est la nature et la richesse de leurs savoirs qu’on interroge, pour identifier les plus experts et compétents d’entre eux. / The wildlife management outside the protected natural area asks the question of knowledge of the environments it attends and the evolution of their capacity. Achieve to a detailed description of the qualitative and quantitative distribution of species, with the only professionals as data collectors trained for these purposes, seems Utopian. The immensity of spaces of trivial campaign combined with the mobility of species involved a regular presence and a fairly common statement for presence indices when monitoring is necessary. While some researchers and managers are now more reluctant to use the participatory ecology as a way of collecting these data, this method can sometimes suffer from a lack of volunteers. A lack of information can exist on some parts that it would inquire. In this context, consider seeking those who shape these natural environments, staying long and using this nature seems a plausible alternative to acquire information and knowledge necessary to wildlife management. But the quality of these collectors is to ask to measure wealth and reliability, and thus the opportunities or not to engage in follow-ups or management process. To conduct this research, an object and a field of appropriate study were required. The choice fell on local knowledge of waterfowl hunters of the Gironde wetlands. The practice of hunting at night was particularly targeted, these enthusiasts have books on which they sometimes long record observations of birds, and the activity itself imposing to stand in a fixed position. Beyond their observations, potentially significant local knowledge could therefore be accumulated. In both cases, access to these items is complex and requires to create a relationship of trust that we have gained through the exchange of information. It was thus possible to continue our research by focusing on the aspect of "observations" through books, and then to the aspect of "knowledge" by conducting interviews with these locals hunters. Our work first examines the nature of the information necessary for the management of different species of wildlife and variability wherewithal that are used to collect. The mobilization of knowledge sometimes belonging to rural then raises questions about their scientific relevance. It appears that these may contribute to better management of wildlife. Thus, we show how various hunting practices mobilize knowledge that appear to contribute to the management of wildlife. The characteristics of the night hunting waterfowl make it more conducive to the collection of observations and original knowledge, some of which could contribute to the management of migratory birds. Wetlands Gironde appear as an appropriate field study. Then, we look in details what constitutes the practice of hunting game, and show that these practitioners are likely to collect original information on birds and wetlands. The reliability of information collected and therefore the quality of the observers may be heterogeneous according to the affinities of these practitioners, the best of them should be identified. The last part then attaches to detect, using their notebooks, hunters who among the mass of these individuals turn out to be reliable observers. In addition, the information they are likely to have accumulated combined knowledge. Through a series of interviews and evaluations, it is the nature and the richness of their knowledge that asks to identify the most expert and competent of them.